


Fidelitatis

by Runaround_Stu



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Cheating, F/M, Fade to Black, Game Spoilers, Gay Sex, Happy Ending, Infidelity, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Oral Sex, Pining, Weddings, complicated feelings, trying to be straight
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-19
Updated: 2017-04-02
Packaged: 2018-10-07 14:26:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,138
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10362456
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Runaround_Stu/pseuds/Runaround_Stu
Summary: Two years after Noctis defeats the Starscourge, Noctis and Lunafreya decide to finally get married, but they bring along twelve years of extra baggage. This marriage will test the strength of their bonds and the bonds they have with the men who swore to live and die for them.(I.e. they both really want to bang other dudes.)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Potential spoilers for the whole game and Kingsglaive.
> 
> Divergences from canon are as follows:  
> -Nyx survived his use of the Ring of the Lucii and vowed to keep his promise to deliver Lunafreya to Altissia.  
> -Luna survived Altissia. Despite this, the Starscourge continued to worsen.  
> -Noctis defeated Ardyn and survived. The Ring of the Lucii was destroyed. Noctis is still bonded with the crystal and can access the same magic that he could even as a prince, but not the more powerful magic such as the Wall.
> 
> More details will be revealed in the story.
> 
> This is my first time writing a serial fic, so I will accept any and all encouragement to get all the chapters out. They have all been outlined.
> 
> This story will be told with many jumps back and forward in time, but it follows a pattern and it should be fairly clear what is happening when.
> 
> I like parties. Also, Promnis content is very very far in the background.

It was the royal wedding twelve years in the planning. This was no small family affair. The media covered nothing else for the months leading up to it. The only respite was the fact that only two years before there had been almost nothing that could be called “media,” and it was still bare-bones compared to pre-fall media. But now, large swaths of the city of Insomnia were liveable again, even though there were ruined buildings all around and rolling blackouts, and there was news and celebrity gossip on TV again. 

When King Noctis had reclaimed his throne and discovered that Lunafreya had survived the events in Altissia and the subsequent ten years, he felt the last missing piece of his heart click into place. They had all made it. No, he reminded himself, they hadn’t all made it. Many, many people had died. But Noctis felt the selfish warmth in his heart anyway, that the people he cared about most were still with him.

After a year of intensive rebuilding in Lucis, things calmed slightly, and Noctis decided to ask Luna if she wanted go ahead with the wedding. What had once been a condition of Niflheim’s insidious peace treaty would now become a symbol of true peace, hope, and light eternal. There was no reason not to—a king needed a queen. There was noone more qualified for the position than Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. It would be a great symbol of rebirth and of unity between Lucis and free Tenebrae, which was also rebuilding after ten years spent in darkness. Luna had been aiding in that effort, but had declined to take over the governance of Tenebrae.

Luna accepted the proposal, which brought Noctis to the extravagant event that would be starting any minute. He stood in front of a mirror, letting a valet adjust his royal raiment. He was still a bit surprised every time he caught sight of his own face in a mirror and saw a king. He stroked his beard with an unadorned hand.

Prompto sidled up to him, looking shockingly official in his Crownsguard dress uniform. He ruffled Noctis’s hair, which made the valet clench his teeth. Prompto held up his his phone, filming the room. He turned the camera toward himself and exclaimed, “It’s Noct’s wedding day!” to theoretical future viewers. Some things were blessedly the same as they had always been. 

Noctis looked deadpan into the camera as Prompto turned it to him. “It is. And you couldn’t even shave that caterpillar off your chin for me?”

“So rude!” Prompto exclaimed, “It makes me look tough!”

“Ah, so you’re going for ‘tough.’ I admire the effort,” Noctis mused. 

Prompto stuck his tongue out. It was still hard for Noctis, Prompto, Ignis and Gladiolus to be playful, but they were getting better at it. They kept forgetting that there was no longer an unspeakable evil eating away at the world and that they didn’t have to feel guilt over small—or large—moments of happiness.

“At least I don’t look like a mopey cat,” Prompto huffed, “You could crack a smile, ya know.”

“I guess I'm a little bit nervous,” Noctis admitted with a crooked little smile. 

“Nervous?” Gladio choked around a laugh, “Aren't you the man who banished the Starscourge and saved the world? You're scared of a little wedding?”

Even Ignis’s stern face cracked into a small smile. “I suppose you're still human, in the end.”

A butler appeared at the door, asking if the groom and groomsmen were ready. Noctis nodded firmly. “Ready.”

Noctis and Luna were married on the outside steps of the only partially rebuilt but still beautiful Citadel. An immense crowd gathered in the courtyard and countless authorized and unauthorized cameras were trained on them. The whole situation created a security nightmare for the Crownsguard, but Noctis wanted the ceremony to be among the people. Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto stood by their king's side, and other Crownsguards and Kingsglaives dotted the scene ornamentally and functionally. At Luna’s request, Noctis had made room for one more groomsman in the wedding party, a man he barely knew named Nyx Ulric. He had been a Glaive, so he wore the uniform for the wedding, though he had not functioned as one for twelve years.

Luna wore a simple white mermaid tail dress with black accents that symbolized her incorporation into the royal line of Lucis. Even if her old wedding dress could have been unearthed or reproduced, she wouldn't have wanted it. She was a different woman now, just as Noctis was a different man. She walked down the makeshift aisle with the same ethereal smile and regal bearing she had always possessed, but a more confident, powerful stride than Noctis remembered.

* * *

 

They had been walking for the entire day now, largely in silence. Lunafreya had long since lost her high heeled shoes. Nyx was expecting her to complain about walking barefoot, but she never did. Even though it was warm, he had thrown his jacket over her shoulders to try and hide her obviously expensive dress and disguise her identity somewhat among the other refugees. 

They were walking out of the city of Insomnia, which was on fire. Refugees were streaming out of the city. Some parts of the city were undamaged, and people were also gathering in those places, though they were now unprotected by the Wall whether in the city or outside it. 

The sun was low on the horizon now, and Luna and Nyx both knew what that meant. They had to find a haven, one without others who might recognize the Oracle. Nyx started running through options in his head as the sun sank lower. He had weapons, but he couldn't use magic anymore; Luna could possibly have drawn wards to keep them safe from daemons under more normal circumstances, but they were both battered and exhausted by the events of the last 36 hours or so.  _ Was that really last night?  _ Nyx thought incredulously. 

They reluctantly gave a wide berth to a small outpost. Luna was the first to notice the rising wisp of blue light in the distance, off to the side of the low, glaring sun. “There,” she said simply, pointing to it. Nyx breathed a huge sigh of relief and bit of life returned to his step. They climbed the rocky outcrop and found it blessedly free of other travelers.

“I’m going to backtrack to that outpost. We need supplies,” Nyx said firmly. 

Luna began to protest, then stopped, pressing her lips together. “Alright. But hurry. Don't forget you are without the king's magic. I'll do what I can here.”

Nyx wanted more than anything on Eos to lie down on the hard rock and sleep, but he drew on what small trickle of fortitude was left in him and took off toward the outpost. 

Luna set to work building a fire. Once that was finished, there was not much else to do, as they had no gear or supplies of any kind. She sat wearily on the stone and waited. 

Nyx reappeared shortly after sunset. Luna let out a breath she had been unconsciously holding. Nyx spread his haul out on the ground in front of the fire. He had returned with a small bag of prepackaged convenience store food, four potions, two gallons of water, a single camp mat, and some clothing. In exchange, he was missing his uniform jacket and several smaller knives he carried, though not his kukris. He would have sold his soul before he sold those knives.

“I had to sell a few things. I didn’t have any gil. But it's dangerous here outside the Wall, so people are always posting bounties on wild animals and daemons. Maybe I can pick one up.”

This first thing they each did was drink one of the potions. Nyx was burned and depleted from using the Ring of the Lucii. Luna had just walked for hours in high heels and then bare feet. Both of them were bruised and battered from their battles and escape and weary from the walk that had taken every drop off determination in them. Lunafreya tried to refuse her potion but Nyx insisted. “Our job is to get you to Altissia  _ alive _ . So drink it, please, Princess.”

The next thing they did was drink some water and use a little bit to rinse their hands and faces. They were still injured, exhausted, and filthy, but they felt infinitely better.

Then Nyx turned his back while Luna changed into the clothes he had brought her. When he turned back, he was looking at a different woman. The always impeccably-dressed and feminine Oracle was wearing hunter fatigue pants, a tank top, and sneakers. Nyx couldn’t afford boots that evening, but at least they were more practical than the heels. In Luna’s slender arms she held a hoodie and a trucker cap that read “Hammerhead” across the front. She looked ever so slightly self conscious in the getup, but she soon regained her typical serenity.

“Wow,” Nyx blinked, “You almost look like you belong out here. Almost.” No matter what she wore, she could not hide her aristocratic bearing and delicate build. But the clothes helped, and the hat would obscure her face and her striking blonde hair. “I heard on the radio that you were reported dead,” he added suddenly.

“Then we must make sure that I remain dead until we make it to Altissia,” Luna replied resolutely, “Now, I believe it is time to rest.”

Nyx would not take no for an answer when he gave Luna the camp mat and settled down on the bare rock. He finally accepted her new hoodie as a pillow.

* * *

 

Noctis and Luna gazed into one another's eyes, light headed with love, affection, and the weight of everything that had led to this moment. They exchanged rings—beautiful, perfectly normal, non-magical rings delivered by Luna’s dog Umbra. At the moment they kissed, the crowd erupted into ear-splitting cheers. 

On the bride’s side, Iris the Daemon Hunter wiped her nose on the back of her hand. On the groom’s side, Prompto was doing the same using his uniform sleeve. Ignis elbowed him subtly. Over the music and the cheers of the crowd, no one could hear Prompto whisper, “How did you know?” Ignis shook his head at the fact that after twelve years Prompto still thought he could get away with things just because Ignis couldn’t see him. Gladiolus was grinning, but a closer observation would have revealed a glitter in his eyes as well. Nyx’s face was a mask of pleasant masculine stoicism. 

The wedding reception was held in the mostly-restored ballroom of the Citadel. It was easily the grandest event that had taken place in Insomnia since reconstruction began, Noctis’s official coronation having been joyously but hastily thrown together. It was in fact the grandest event that had taken place in all of Lucis since Noctis’s twentieth birthday. 

Noctis and Luna opened the dancing with a lively but stuffy waltz. The bride and groom both danced with the entire bridal party in turn, and everyone soon began to relax. By the end of the night there were bare feet and rolled-up shirtsleeves to be seen across the dance floor. There was a certain defiant attitude to the celebration, like people were daring the universe to come and just  _ try  _ to ruin their joy. Even Cor the Immortal was spotted smiling.

Hours later, as the party was winding down, Gladio found Noctis standing out on the balcony, gazing into the distance. He threw his arm around his friend’s shoulder. “So, we finally made it to your wedding,” he chuckled, “We only took a little twelve year detour.”

Noctis smiled back at his old friend. “Thanks for sticking it out,” he said, voice a little thick with the emotions stirred up by champagne and too many ulwaat berry tarts. 

Gladio smacked him, hard, on the back. “None of that! You know you couldn't get rid of me if you tried. So, what's the honeymoon plan?”

“Nothing fancy. A few days in Galdin Quay. They just reopened the hotel.” Citizens of Lucis could now freely and easily travel in and out of Insomnia. As infrastructure and economy were rebuilt, these regions were seeing growth that was projected to eventually surpass their pre-fall status. “I want to see the old place.”

* * *

 

Gladio and Noctis stood on the short pier, hopefully watching the bobber float on the calm sea water. Suddenly, it dipped. Noctis tugged on the rod and Gladio whooped. It took Noctis only a minute to reel in the disappointingly small fish. 

“Eh,” shrugged Gladio, “Toss it back. We're not even camping tonight.”

Noctis shrugged and tossed the wriggling fish back into the water, where it vanished. “Iggy probably wouldn’t agree to gut a fish in our hotel room, anyway. We can stop.” Noctis tossed his rod away into a flash of blue light and sat down cross-legged on the pier.

“I’ve always wondered: does that bother the King?” Gladio laughed, sitting next to Noctis.

Nostis shrugged. “Why should it? It is a weapon. It’s just that it’s only effective against fish.”

Gladio grinned and shook his head. Noctis leaned against him as they watched the water turn pink in the sunset. Gladio’s grin slowly faded into a pensive expression. He glanced down at Noctis.

Gladio wanted both to pull him into his lap and shove him away. They had agreed that with Noctis getting married, the physical part of their relationship had to end. They had never been a couple in the traditional sense. They didn’t hold hands or give each other chocolate, and they especially did not use the word “boyfriend.” However, they shared an emotional intimacy unique to two people destined to live their lives together and die at each others’ sides. Unlike some other Kings and their Shields, they also shared sexual intimacy. It had started about five years before, and the frequency of their encounters waxed and waned. But they hadn’t had sex since setting out on this trip, and Gladio assumed they never would again. Though Gladio understood why in the rational part of his mind, it was still painful. “Let’s get back to the room,” he finally suggested, when the physical contact became too much for him. Noctis nodded. The four friends stayed up late, chatting and playing games, confident that things were going well.

That night, Noctis’s world crumbled in distant fire. He woke up to find he had lost his father, his home, his kingdom, and his purpose as he knew it. That day he said nothing more than was logistically necessary .

The next night, they stayed at a hotel again and Ignis didn’t even argue. When it was time to go to sleep Noctis pulled Gladio into one of the beds with him, curling up against his body, both men wearing just their pajama pants. Noctis made no excuse for the behavior, did not comment on it at all, in fact. He fell asleep almost immediately with his ear pressed against Gladio’s chest, listening to his heartbeat. Gladio stroked his hair and glanced up at the other two with an uncharacteristically helpless expression. Prompto gaped at the unexpected sight of Gladio and Noctis in a romantic embrace, but Ignis just put a hand on his shoulder, quieting him. They all needed all the comfort they could get that night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna and Noctis go on their honeymoon. In the past, Luna and Nyx secure passage to Altissia while Gladio confides in Ignis.

It was a long drive to Galdin Quay, but there was no longer any special danger in driving at night, so there was no rush. Some had said it was in poor taste to renovate a fancy vacation spot while people were still suffering and scraping by, but the owners argued that leisure and temporary escape were healing. And of course they wanted in on the piles of gil from people who flocked to the best spot in Lucis to see Angelgard. They even set up a boat tour past it.

Noctis wanted as little company on his honeymoon as possible. He finally agreed to two Crownsguards and a driver. The guards stood at a not-quite-discreet distance, while Noctis and Lunafreya walked down the beach hand-in-hand. The sun was in the last, deep red stages of its descent. Noctis glanced up at the horizon and grasped Luna’s hand a little tighter. She squeezed back. 

“It’s sometimes hard to remember that it’s safe to stand outside and watch the sunset,” Noctis murmured, thoughts of daemons stalking through his mind.

“For the people who were awake during those years, it is hard to remember that the sun will rise again in the morning,” Luna replied softly. 

“But it will,” Noctis said, “Again and again.” 

“Forever. Thanks to you.”

“I didn’t do it alone.”

He turned to Luna and leaned in to place a soft kiss on her lips. He stroked her thick, silky hair and lovingly adjusted the gold hairpin adorning it. “What do you say we go get dinner and talk about something lighter?” he said a moment after breaking off the kiss.

Luna smiled, “Of course. Today we should be celebrating, not reliving bittersweet memories.”

Noctis thought of stopping at the dock to fish as they walked back, but thought that was probably not how his bride would like to spend her evening.

They had a fairly extravagant dinner in the restaurant on the pier. Being there filled Noctis with conflicting reminiscences. Many landmarks in his journey had happened at Galdin Quay, and now he was adding another one to his list. He shook his head slightly, trying to clear away the memories and focus on his beautiful wife, seated across from him.

Noctis ate all the vegetables served during dinner except the carrots, which Luna reached over and poked with her fork. “I am so glad to see that little boy I knew in Tenebrae is still in there,” she teased him, popping the carrots in her mouth.

“The carrots seem to be his last stand,” Noctis chuckled, leaning back in his chair, satisfied and content.

After dinner, both were too tired to have a desire for anything but their hotel room. “Do I carry you over the threshold, or what?” Noctis pondered, standing before the door.

Luna’s laughed tinkled like a wind chime. “If you were planning to do that, I believe the appropriate place would be the threshold of the Citadel.”

Noctis grinned and simply held the door for her. The room was large and comfortable. Their guards were in a room across the hall. Noctis took Luna’s delicate white hand in his and kissed it. He sat on the bed, pulling her into his lap and kissing her lips. Then he turned, laying her back on the bed and propping himself up over her. 

Luna reached out and pulled him down firmly toward her. 

Their kiss deepened, tongues meeting tentatively. Noctis expected Luna to be timid or even scared, but she was not. She let her hands explore his body and indicated what she wanted with subtle touches. As they slowly removed each other’s clothing, Noctis couldn’t help but compare her to what he was used to. Luna was so small, so soft. He felt like he was holding a baby bird that could accidentally be crushed in careless hands.

Luna was surprised that Noctis was so hesitant. She hadn’t expected him to be inexperienced, but she carefully hid her reaction and subtly guided him until they lay exhausted in each other’s arms.

“I love you,” he said.

“I love you, too,” she replied.

* * *

 

Nyx returned from a hunt dusty and splattered with another creature’s blood, but with a pocketful of gil. He still hadn’t figured out how the hell they were getting to Altissia without alerting the Empire, but he figured that saving money couldn’t hurt. They might need a lot of bribes, and they definitely needed to eat in the meantime. 

He was not sure what Luna did all day while he hunted for both bounties and food. He didn’t know where that black dog came from or how she seemed to know it. She seemed to spend long stretches in prayer and meditation, but he assumed that was just what Oracles did. He certainly was no expert.

He walked up to their camp, now much more well-outfitted with a tent, fairly comfortable camp mats for both of them, and a cooler full of food. When he approached, she was kneeling near the fire, eyes closed. The mysterious black dog was seated calmly next to her. She was wearing her hunter getup without the despised trucker hat, and her hair was twisted up in complex braids adorned with a gold hair pin. The overall impression was almost comical in its incongruity. Nyx smiled to himself as he paused to watch the firelight flicker on her pale Cupid’s bow lips. For the briefest moment, he thought about how good it would feel to kiss those lips.

_ Okay, now would be a great time to cook dinner _ , he ordered himself. He definitely did not need to go down that other road. Setting aside the impropriety of the idea as a whole and the fact that she had given no overt sign of interest, that kind of entanglement was just plain complicated during wartime.

Nyx busied himself with cooking, a quick project which entailed wrapping the meat in foil and tossing it in the edge of the fire. He cleaned his knives. He did some stretches. He lay back and watched the stars come out.

Finally Luna opened her eyes, looking exhausted, as though she had been working hard and not just sitting. Maybe she had been. “Hello, Glaive Ulric,” she said softly.

“Good evening, Princess,” Nyx replied, sitting up, “Please, call me Nyx.” He made this request almost daily. By now it was habitual and he expected no change.

“I believe we may have passage to Altissia,” Luna continued with determination in her eyes. What beautiful eyes they were. Nyx could get lost in them.

“I, oh, great!” Nyx responded, blinking rapidly and chastising himself internally for acting like a schoolboy, “What did you find?” He was expecting to hear about some old fisherman with a secret boat.

“Umbra brought a message from my brother. He is willing to send an escort to bring me to Altissia, if I stop in Tenebrae first,” Luna said calmly.

Nyx’s face went dark. “Your brother? Your  _ brother _ ?” he repeated incredulously, “I’m sorry, Princess, but were you there in Insomnia? Because I was, and Ravus is about the, hm, third-to-last person on Eos that I would trust.”

Luna looked unfazed by Nyx’s reaction. She just waited for him to finish. Though perfect manners came naturally to her, she was not offended by his significantly rougher manner. In truth, she liked it. Between her magic and his guts, they had already made a few miracles together. They were a good team.

“I understand your mistrust,” Luna said gently, “but I assure you, Ravus would never harm me. I am still more precious to him than the Empire is.” 

“He sure as hell would harm  _ me _ , though,” Nyx pointed out.

Luna pressed her lips together, considering his point. “He may prefer that I travel to Altissia with only his guards, but I believe I can convince him that you are also a suitable escort. We have little choice; the Empire has stopped all commercial travel to Altissia and is searching even small fishing vessels along the coast.”

“Even if Ravus doesn't have ulterior motives,” Nyx went on, “Why go to Tenebrae first? It's like walking willingly into the coerl’s den!”

Luna shook her head. “Ravus wants to speak with me in person. And I believe it might be easier to smuggle us from Tenebrae, where we are not expected to be, than from Lucis.” 

Nyx saw that Luna was firm in her decision, and ever since he had seen her jump out of that damn airship, he knew her decisions were final. He sighed, “Alright Princess. You're in charge.”

When Nyx showed his palms in a gesture of surrender, Luna signaled the black dog, who took off into the darkness with her reply. At least she had waited for Nyx to agree, even if he didn’t have much of a choice.

Nyx stood and offered Luna a hand to get to her feet. When her small, smooth hand slid into his strong, calloused one, he felt pins and needles creep up his arm. He realized this was the first time they had touched outside of life-or-death scenarios. He quickly pulled back his hand, put it on his hip, and turned away slightly in an aggressive display of indifference. Luna folded her hands in front of her, unruffled as ever. “What have you prepared for dinner?” she asked. 

Nyx hurriedly set up their no-frills meal, and soon the tension passed and the two were eating and talking like the friends they were becoming. Each night had bred more comfort and familiarity between them, and they had started having conversations about things aside from their immediate problems.

“The thing is,” Nyx was saying, waving his chunk of meat in a pantomime of throwing a dagger, “Getting yourself to the knife is easy enough, once you get used to it. But getting the knife in the right place at the right time, that’s really the hard part. You’ll fall right on your ass if that blade’s not stuck in there real good.”

Luna giggled, which was such a girlish and unexpected sound that it surprised Nyx into momentary silence. Maybe her attentiveness was not just good manners. He returned an easy grin.

* * *

 

Luna immediately took to her role as Queen, as they all knew she would. The people loved her. She fit into workings of the Citadel like a missing cog. She was polite, friendly, kind, incredibly astute in politics, and extremely stubborn. Foreign and domestic officials alike discovered the force of her will when they made the mistake of assuming her gentleness meant that she was easy to manipulate. 

Nyx was given the opportunity to return to the rebuilt Kingsglaive as a commanding officer, but he turned it down. They were being sent out to support relief and rebuilding efforts, and to deal with any lingering martial instabilities. After ten years of traveling, hiding, and fighting for survival, and two years rebuilding Tenebrae, Nyx wanted nothing more than to stay in one familiar place with a roof over his head and a warm bed to sleep in. Let the young recruits run all over Lucis.

Instead, he took a position as Queen Lunafreya’s personal bodyguard and was inducted into the Crownsguard as a formality. The change of uniform would have meant so much twelve years before but meant so little now. Whatever kept him at Luna’s side was what he would do. 

Some wondered if a woman might be a better choice for the role, but Luna stated with a sharp look in her eye that Nyx Ulric had done the job perfectly and honorably for a decade, and that was not about to change simply because she was now a queen. That was the end of the debate.

With Gladiolus’s imposing bulk and Nyx’s dangerous glare present at every official function, no one would have dared to even sneeze in the direction of the King and Queen. There was no doubt that anyone approaching the sovereigns with ill intent would be dead before hitting the ground. People began to call Nyx the “Queen’s Shield,” a title which he outwardly rejected as improper but inwardly embraced. Like Noctis and Gladiolus, he wanted the day of Luna’s death to be the day of his death as well.

As they worked in close concert, Gladio and Nyx began training together regularly, practicing their teamwork as well as sparring against one another. They had known each other in passing before the fall of Insomnia, but were never close. Now they were starting to become friends by virtue of proximity. 

“So, the Shield thing,” Nyx said one day as they stood panting and wiping the sweat off their faces with towels, “You were chosen from birth, right? What if you hated the king's guts?”

Gladio laughed. It was a question that both he and Ignis often had to answer from people outside the small sphere of the Citadel. “I mean, I  _ did _ hate his guts at first,” he replied, to Nyx’s surprise, “But then I didn't anymore. I guess I'm lucky that I would die for Noct even if it wasn't my duty. Because the answer to your question would, I guess, be ‘tough luck.’”

Nyx chuckled and nodded. “Right. Your bond with the king is really… Well, it’s special.” He cleared his throat self-consciously.

Gladio shrugged. “It’s not, really. It’s just the only life I know.”

* * *

 

Noctis had lost track of how long they had been traveling around the godsforsaken hinterlands of Lucis, collecting ethereal weapons and the blessings of gods. It was like a road trip vacation, except when reality intruded violently into their idyllic escape. 

On one particularly vacation-like evening, the four men were sitting together in a hotel room. Noctis and Prompto had firmly insisted on a hotel,  as they had spent the previous night camping: specifically, camping deep in the bowels of a nasty dungeon crawling with daemons. Noctis wanted a comfortable bed and, even more importantly, a shower. After a long shower and a big meal, they all felt much more like themselves. Ignis suggested that they play cards instead of staring at phone screens for once, and everyone agreed, Noctis most reluctantly.

Prompto was seated on one bed. Ignis was seated in a chair. Gladio and Noctis were seated together on the other bed, Noctis between Gladio’s legs. No matter how many times Noctis accused Gladio of looking at his cards, he refused to remove himself from his lap. Prompto had gotten used to Gladio and Noctis’s relationship quickly, and found this only slightly unusual, but Ignis was puzzled by this behavior. He wasn’t oblivious to the relationship between the Prince and his Shield, as much as they had tried to hide it over the years. After all, noticing things was Ignis’s job. But he'd never seen them so affectionate, and while Noctis was engaged to Lady Lunafreya, no less.

After the card game, when Prompto was quietly playing on his phone, Nocits had conked out with his head on Gladio’s chest, and Gladio was reading a book, Ignis caught Gladio's eye and gestured that he wanted to talk to him privately. Gladio carefully freed himself from Noctis’s death grip, tugged on his boots, and quietly followed Ignis to the hallway.

“What’s up, Ignis?” Gladio asked after the door clicked shut.

“Gladiolus,” Ignis began after a slight hesitation, “Before I begin, I want to assure you that I am not making judgment of your character.”

Gladio stiffened slightly. That was just the sort of thing people said when they were making judgments of character. “Ig—”

“Do you think it’s wise for you to continue this relationship with Noctis? It might make it more difficult for him when we arrive in Altissia.”

Gladio threw his hands up. “Of course I don’t think it’s  _ wise _ . But what should I do?” he hissed, “Tell him no?”

“He may be your sovereign, but you still have the right—”

“That's not what I mean. I mean he needs this, and I— I’m only human, Ignis.” Ignis’s astute ears could hear the pain behind the anger in Gladio’s voice.

“Do you love him?” Ignis asked quietly. They both knew he did not mean the love of duty, brotherhood, or camaraderie.

Gladio’s mind raced through possible answers before he finally sighed, “Yeah. Fuck.” Gladio put his forearm up on the dingy wallpaper and leaned his forehead against it. 

“Does he love you?” Ignis asked even more gently.

Gladio shook his head and continued in a casual tone, “I don’t know. Probably not like that. I think I'm just a… security blanket.”

Ignis placed a hand on Gladio’s shoulder. Gladio shrugged it off. “Of course we should do what is best for him,” Ignis said, careful not to specify what he thought that was. 

“Yeah,” said Gladio, lifting his head from the wall. “Hey, I'm gonna go grab a beer before I go back to bed. If His Majesty wakes up, tell him I'll be back soon.”

Ignis nodded as Gladio turned down the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the least pornographic thing I've ever written. There's something wrong with me.
> 
> Following chapters will be a bit slower in coming. This was the last one I had finished.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Noctis doesn't know where his duty ends and he begins, and Gladio is starting to feel the effects of bottling up his feelings.
> 
> In the past, Nyx spirits Luna out of Altissia, and their bond deepens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here comes the good stuff.
> 
> Some recommended listening for this fic:  
> Garbage - #1 Crush  
> Beyonce - Poison   
> Rihanna - Stay  
> Wir sind Helden - Bist du nicht müde  
> Florence + the Machine - Shake it Out  
> Basically just sad girls.

Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto were gathered in Noctis’s private sitting room. More than four empty beer bottles were already collected on the coffee table. Gladio, as off-duty as he ever got, was leaning back, knees wide apart, taking more than his fair share of the sofa. “I can’t remember the last time I relaxed,” he commented.

“I hardly remember the meaning of the word,” Ignis agreed from across the table where he was seated next to Prompto.

Noctis snorted. “I'm pretty sure you never knew it, Iggy.”

“Be that as it may, it turns out that running a government is even more work than washing your dishes and making sure you have clean underwear,” Ignis retorted.

“You know what I was thinking?” Prompto piped up. 

Ignis’s lips twitched up into an expectant smirk. “Yes, my dear?”

“Speaking of running the government. I was listening to you guys talk politics, and watching the new guard recruits falling over themselves, and I realized:  _ we’re _ the scary old guys now!” Prompto exclaimed.

The other men laughed. “Is that so?” asked Ignis.

“ _ Especially _ you, Iggy. Do you have any idea how intimidating you are?” Prompto asked.

“Hm, yes, a bit,” Ignis replied with a tone of amusement that suggested Prompto and he had asked and answered that question many times before.

“Don’t make us out to be ancient,” Gladio warned, “I’m only 35. There are still a few real old-timers left. Like Cor.”

“I’m going to tell Cor you called him old,” Noctis grinned, and Gladio grimaced.

“When we start having kids, that’ll really be the end of it,” Prompto mused.

The temperature in the room dropped. Everyone went quiet. “When  _ will  _ we be hearing news of an heir?” Ignis asked Noctis innocently.

Noctis’s face grew imperceptibly paler. He had not, in fact, been putting much effort toward that end since the honeymoon, but he couldn't exactly share that information. “I could ask you the same thing,” he evaded, “When are you two going to finally get married and start adopting little lost puppies?”

“We have been discussing the possibility,” Ignis replied smoothly. Prompto flashed a grin at Noctis.

Gladio groaned. “Enough with the marriage and babies talk. You sound like a bunch of gossipy old aunts.”

Noctis gave Gladio a subtle glance of gratitude, wondering if Gladio had guessed the reason for his discomfort. Conversation was turned to more neutral topics, but Ignis and Prompto weren’t oblivious to the tension they had caused in the room. After finishing their beers, they claimed that it was late and they had to be off. They said their goodbyes and left the King and his Shield alone.

Noctis closed his eyes and sighed. 

“Is everything alright?” Gladio asked.

“Yes,” Noctis replied, “Everything is perfect. I just—” Gladio had experience with women; maybe he could give him advice. But no, that would be intolerably embarrassing. And he had no right to ask Gladio for help with that kind of thing after all their history.

“Are you having trouble with—”

“No! No. I  _ can _ do it. I just don’t… really… want to.” Noctis pressed his fingers to his forehead, feeling his face burn with shame. He was hoping Gladio would stick to teasing him. He didn’t think he could take it if he got angry right then.

“Noct,” Gladio said gently, “You can’t change yourself just because you want to.”

“I used to be a scared kid,” Noctis went on, “I did things because I wanted to escape my life. But I’ve learned to shoulder my responsibilities. It's time to confront reality. I need to be a good king.”

“Noctis,” Gladio said firmly, “You are a phenomenal king. But you're human, too. Not everything in your life is preordained.” 

“I’m not so sure,” Noctis said. He looked at Gladio with pain in his eyes.

Gladio put his right arm up on the back of the couch, clearly making space if Noctis wanted to take it. Noctis hesitated for a moment, then leaned against Gladio’s side, feeling his warm bulk supporting him. Whether because of the beer or the emotional overwhelm, Noctis soon drifted off to sleep just like he used to. Gladio eased him down onto the couch and escaped the suffocating atmosphere of the King’s private quarters.

 

Luna wanted to give Noctis space to spend time with his closest friends, so she spent the evening reading in the garden, or trying to. She read the same page three times before finally closing the book with a sigh. Nyx wasn’t there. He got time off, of course, and she was safe enough inside the private areas of the Citadel. Luna hesitated before pulling her cell phone out of her purse and sending a text to Nyx.  _ Meet me in the garden? _ She stared at it for a minute after sending it, wondering if it was too informal, too forward, or otherwise inappropriate. She was not very experienced in texting etiquette, a notable hole in her royal education. 

_ Of course. _

Nyx appeared in record time, dressed in civilian clothing. “Your Majesty, is something wrong?” He glanced around the garden, half expecting an assassin to pop out from behind the hydrangeas.

Luna smiled and shook her head. “No. Come sit with me.” Nyx relaxed and took a seat next to her on the ornate garden bench, a respectful enough distance away. “It’s been so long since we’ve really spoken, Nyx.”

The sound of his name on her lips gave Nyx chills. “Yes, Luna,” he replied slowly, savoring the shape of her name in his mouth, “It has. Well, you’re a queen now, and I’m just a soldier again. You’ve got more important things to do.” Nyx’s hand was on the bench next to him. Luna leaned toward him just slightly and placed her hand on the bench, too, fingertips only just brushing the side of his hand. He felt a thrill as powerful as if she’d kissed him. 

“That’s not true,” Luna replied with a shake of her head, “You are very important to me. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. I will be forever in your debt.”

“You don’t owe me anything,” Nyx said firmly.

“I owe you everything,” Luna said, brushing Nyx’s hand with her fingertips before folding her hands in her lap, “I would be dead three times over if not for you.”

* * *

 

The summoning ritual had gone terribly wrong. Nyx was sheltering from the rising water, trying to keep his eyes on the Oracle. The city was evacuated, and the Prince was locked in battle with the Hydraeon. Nyx saw that rat Ardyn sink his knife into Luna’s stomach, but he was too far away. He was too late to stop it. 

When he did get to her, Luna was unconscious, breathing shallowly. “No, no, no,” Nyx begged through gritted teeth. He tipped an elixir against her pallid lips, hoping she would swallow enough of it and not choke on it. She coughed weakly but he saw her throat move. He pressed his bare hand over the wound in her stomach until he felt it begin to knit together under his hand.  _ Thank the gods. Except Leviathan, you asshole. _

She would still need medical attention, but Nyx hoped that elixir would keep her alive for long enough to get her away from there. He gathered her limp body in his arms, shocked at how light she was. He threw his jacket over her to shield her from view, and ran. He distantly wondered if it was treason to abandon Noctis for the sake of saving Luna. He glanced back, and to his relief he thought he saw the large silhouette of Gladiolus Amicitia running to the King’s aid. He wasn't certain, but it was enough to ease his conscience as he escaped. 

The streets that were not completely underwater were dangerously slick. He had to be doubly careful with the precious cargo in his arms. In some spots he had to wade through cold, chest-high seawater, holding as much of Luna’s body out of it as he could. He didn't have a goal other than to get out of the city quickly and undetected.

In, from Nyx’s point of view, a blessed deus ex machina, the Imperials cleared out of the area quickly. Nyx was able to get Luna safely to a small hotel in Accordo, outside Altissia. He gave the worker at the front desk an extra large tip to not notice the woman he was carrying, but luckily they were not the only drowned rats straggling in from the city. Several days passed holed up in the hotel, and Luna did not wake up. Nyx feared the worst. He checked the news obsessively for a sign that her survival had been discovered, but thankfully all he heard was that the Oracle had perished at the ritual, her body presumed to have been washed out to sea.

When Luna finally awoke, she seemed disoriented. She looked up at Nyx, her face almost the same color as the pillow, her eyes full of helpless fear. Nyx had never seen such an expression on her confident face. He brushed her hair back from her forehead, trying to calm her.

“Nyx,” Luna breathed so softly he had to strain to hear, “Did Prince Noctis survive? I spoke to him in my dream.”

“Yes,” he assured her, “Yes, I saw his friends grab him.” 

She closed her eyes and seemed to relax, though her brow was still furrowed. “I… need… to…”

“Rest,” Nyx finished for her, “Once you've regained your strength, then you can do whatever it is you've got to do. And we can go back to Lucis.”

“I feel different,” she whispered. For the last eight years she had had a link to the divine but now, suddenly and unexpectedly, her head felt empty and she felt alone. It was a strange and frightening feeling. She didn’t think Nyx could understand, as she didn't understand it herself.

“Don’t worry,” Nyx insisted, “Everything’s alright. I’m here. You just rest.”

Luna closed her eyes and turned her hand up on the bed. Nyx looked at it for a moment before tentatively putting his own in it. Luna weakly closed her fingers around Nyx’s hand and drifted back to sleep.

* * *

 

Gladio’s and Noctis’s fingers were entwined, resting on Gladio’s knee. The King was seated at his Shield’s feet on the plush rug of his study, a position that would have scandalized certain members of the court more for the breach of etiquette than the level of intimacy. Noctis’s head leaned against the larger man's thigh.

Gladio was holding a book in his free hand and reading from it out loud in a quiet, soothing voice. This was a routine that the two had developed over the past year or so. Noctis had remembered a time that Gladio read to in the backseat of the Regalia and one day had asked him to do it again to calm his nerves.. It soothed him so effectively that they repeated it until it became habitual.

The clasped hands and the head on Gladio’s lap were newer developments. When Noctis reached out for Gladio’s hand the evening after their emotional conversation, Gladio accepted it silently. Over the next few evenings, Noctis had crept closer and closer, until that night, when he wordlessly sat himself at Gladio’s feet.

Gladio schooled his expression as he opened the book of fairy tales that they were halfway through. He offered his hand to Noctis, who took it. Gladio read slowly and deliberately, the quiet rumble of his voice soothing away the mundane stresses of Noctis’s day, but not the thing that was really on his mind.

Noctis shifted, causing Gladio to pause in his reading. He had turned toward Gladio, kneeling, both hands on other other man’s knee, blue eyes looking up him. The look reminded Gladio of the first time they had slept together, when Noctis had looked up at him with big, frightened, trusting eyes. He would never forget that look, even seventeen years on.

“Is this our happy ending?” Noctis asked cryptically, gesturing to everything around them.

Gladio closed the book over his finger. The bearded, thirty-two-year-old man at his feet could be charmingly naïve sometimes. He supposed that for all his long sleep in the Crystal had changed him, he was still just twenty-two when it came to life experiences. “That depends on what story you're telling,” Gladio said with a small shrug. 

“I thought everything would be easy now,” Noctis admitted, “I really did. I guess that's stupid.”

“A little,” Gladio grinned, causing Noctis to scowl, “Come on, when has anything ever been easy?”

Noctis had no answer for that. Instead, he walked forward on his knees until he was between Gladio’s legs. He reached up decisively and grabbed Gladio’s shirt, pulling him down into a kiss. 

Gladio gave in to the kiss immediately, devouring him like he was starving and Noctis was the only thing that could sate him. Only when they broke the kiss did he interject, “Noct, are you—”

Noctis kissed him again to shut him up. He had made a decision and he didn't want to talk about what he was about to do. He pushed Gladio back in the chair and grabbed for his belt. Gladio exhaled expectantly. Noctis's hands, and soon his mouth, made him forget all his objections. He buried his hands in Noctis’s dark hair and closed his eyes. 

After the fog of arousal cleared, Noctis felt guilt and shame settle like a yoke on his shoulders. He scrubbed the evidence off his mouth and off the rug between Gladio's feet, then stood up. “I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight, Gladio.” He didn't meet his eyes. 

Gladio wanted to either kiss Noctis or throttle him. He settled on the verbal equivalent of doing both. “You need to figure out what you want, Noct,” he said angrily, his pent-up emotions tumbling out before he could stop them, “Don’t let yourself be that scared kid anymore. I can't always be your security blanket.”

Noctis stiffened. Where he would once have yelled at his friend, he instead replied in a calm, quiet voice, “I thought this was what you wanted.”

“You thought this was what I wanted?” Gladio’s expression was dark. “Noct, you don't have the slightest idea what I want.” There was so much he wanted to say, but he had already said too much, made himself more vulnerable than he ever meant to be. He clenched his jaw to keep himself quiet.

Noctis’s expression was unreadable, freezing Gladio out. “Leave. Please.”

“Fine. Goodnight, Your Majesty.” Gladio slammed the door on his way out.

* * *

 

Noctis and Gladio were both temperamental people, though Gladio tended to direct his feelings outward into displays of aggression, whereas Noctis was more likely to direct everything inward, placid surface hiding roiling emotions. Of course this meant that over the years, they had fought plenty of times. Something about the fight they had on the train felt different. It didn't seem like it would just blow over. Maybe it was that the stakes were higher than they had ever been, or maybe it was the amount of stress they were all under. 

It wasn’t just Noctis and Gladio, either. Prompto was trying as ever to bring cheer to the group, but inside he was angry at Gladio for shoving him on the train and at Noctis for shutting him out. Ignis was angry at Gladio for using him as a pawn in his argument with Noctis. Gladio was angry at Prompto for butting in and for being so fucking helpful all the time. Noctis was angry at everything.

The two days in the quarry were emotional torture for all of them. At the camp that night, Gladio sat at a distance and Noctis carefully didn’t look at him. Nobody ate more than a few bites of the unpleasant canned food. The next day dawned, if you could call it that when the sun hardly rose above the horizon, with no improvement in anyone’s mood. When Ignis finally lost his patience and gave everyone a piece of his mind it broke the tension, but there was still a gray cloud over the group.They finally emerged into the train station again and Ignis cornered Noctis and Gladio. He ushered them down the platform far enough to afford them some privacy.

“You two need to talk,” Ignis commanded, “And make it fast, please. We are on a tight schedule.”

He left them in an awkward silence. Neither was sure how to begin.

“Look—”

“Noct, I—”

They each took a breath and tried again. 

“I'm sorry,” Gladio spat out as fast as he could, “No matter what I think, I shouldn't have acted like that.”

Noctis shook his head. “You weren't wrong. I am a coward.”

Gladio sighed. “You're not a coward. I didn't mean that. Everything's just getting to me.”

“No, you were right,” Noctis said, his voice dropping to a whisper, “But I need you to help me be brave.” He sounded scared and uncertain and so unlike the cocky brat he could sometimes be.

“Noct,” Gladio replied, “You are brave.  You don't need me. But I'll always be here anyway.” He took a half step toward Noctis. He couldn’t do what he wanted to do in public, which was take Noctis in his arms, so he settled for a hand on his shoulder.

Noctis’s hand crept up and he wrapped his fingers around Gladio’s wrist. He looked into Gladio’s eyes. “Gladio, I don't know what’s going to happen when we reach Gralea, but--”

“I do,” Gladio interrupted. He didn’t think he could hold it together if they started saying goodbyes and making grand confessions. “We’re going to get the Crystal back to Insomnia, even if I have to carry you and the fucking rock across Lucis myself.”

Noctis almost smiled. “I bet you could.”

“Of course I could,” Gladio replied with a wink, and flexed his bicep. Noctis snorted and rolled his eyes. Gladio gave Noctis a friendly shove to the chest, like a punch in slow motion. “Come on, let’s blow this joint. We've still got a long way to go.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna's life is threatened. Gladiolus and Noctis continue to make mistakes.
> 
> In the past, everyone does their best to survive the world of ruin. Luna can't cope with being a non-divine fugitive. Gladio just can't cope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Nobody has any chill. 
> 
> Recommended listening:  
> Rihanna - We Found Love  
> The Veils - The Wild Son

The presence of the Chosen King, his queen, and the men who had helped him vanquish the Starscourge was requested at the official opening of the Museum of the World of Ruin. It was located in a building in downtown Insomnia that had been partially rebuilt, some sections remaining intentionally and artfully in ruins. Noctis in an all-black suit and Lunafreya in a knee-length black dress stood with Gladiolus, Ignis, and Prompto in their Crownsguard uniforms. There was an unusual tension among the group, but everyone hid well behind their public faces. They shook hands with the museum director and board members. The crowd cheered. The museum director had just begun a speech about the heroism of the people standing beside him when a commotion in the crowd interrupted him.

“Don’t honor the Oracle! She deserted us!” screamed out a hoarse voice, “Lunafreya! Where were you when we were all in the darkness?” Luna turned big, round eyes toward the voice to see the barrel of a gun pointed toward her. The next seconds stretched out like a rubber band. Gladio jumped in front of Noctis while Ignis pulled Luna to the ground. The Crownsguard leapt into action around them. All the civilians on the steps dove for cover. Nyx’s knife appeared as if by magic in the shooter’s throat, and Nyx appeared behind it in a blue flash. A gunshot rang out and the rubber band seemed to snap, time accelerating from a crawl to a sprint. 

The Crownsguard tried to control the crowd, which had started screaming and swarming in panic. Noctis crouched down to frantically check on Luna, who was on the steps, staring down at her hands on the concrete, but unharmed. Nyx twisted his kukri in the dead man’s throat before pulling it out. Prompto scanned the crowd for signs of another attack, guns held at the ready.

In a few minutes, the Guard had the area cordoned off. Ignis ushered Luna and a protesting Noctis into the museum.

Gladio and Nyx were standing over the dead assassin. Prompto peeked around Gladio’s body. “I guess we’re not questioning him,” Prompto quipped after a moment’s silence. Gladio shoved him back, rolling his eyes.

Nyx shrugged as he wiped his blade clean. “I couldn’t risk her being hurt again,” he said.

Gladio accepted that explanation. He would have done the same. “Let’s let the other guards take care of this mess,” he said, pointing with his chin at the dead man. He turned toward the museum with Prompto right behind him. Nyx followed a moment later. 

When everyone was found to be shaken but uninjured, they were bundled into a car and rushed back to the safety of the Citadel. On the ride home, Luna nestled against Noctis’s side, under his arm. She was deathly pale and silent. Noctis held her close, whispering that she was okay, and everyone was okay, and there was nothing to be afraid of. She couldn’t find the words to explain that she wasn’t scared. 

At the Citadel, Luna asked to be alone. Noctis reluctantly left her in her rooms with Nyx stationed at the door. Noctis went, alone, to his study. Nyx stood outside Luna’s door, running through the incident over and over in his mind. It had all turned out fine—well, not for the would-be assassin—but what if it hadn't? 

Eventually, the door cracked open an inch. Luna’s voice drifted out in a whisper, “Nyx.”

Nyx immediately turned his attention to the door. “Yes?”

“Are you alone?” At his affirmative hum, she continued, “Come in, please.”

He entered, and she shut and locked the door behind them. Nyx felt himself grow hotter and his skin prickle at the sound of the lock sliding home. He stood at a distance from Luna, afraid of the mistakes he might make if he allowed himself to get too close. 

Luna’a eyes were red, and it was clear she had been crying. “I’m not afraid of dying,” she said, unprompted, “I’m crying because that man was right.” Her lips tightened with the effort of holding back more tears. “I did abandon the people of Eos. I could have helped more, but I didn't.” She’d been trying to ignore or forget that guilt for years, especially since Noctis had returned. But Nyx had been there. He knew the truth, and so he was the only one she could confide in. She dropped heavily into an ornate armchair.

Nyx crossed the room and sank to one knee at her feet. He took one of her hands in both of his. “There was nothing you could do. You didn't abandon your duty; it was taken from you.”

“I still could have done more,” she insisted, “I was selfish.”

“You had no choice,” Nyx insisted, “if you'd been found, you’d be dead. And I…”  _ I would be dead, too _ . “I would miss you.”

Nyx stood up, put his hands on the arms of the chair, leaned over Luna, and kissed her. Luna quickly submitted to the kiss, closing her eyes and parting her lips. Nyx touched her gold hairpin stroked her temple with his thumb.

Finally, reluctantly, he pulled away and stood up straight. Luna looked up at him through blonde lashes, her lips parted, and he wanted to do so much more than kiss her, right there on that chair.

Luna finally cast her eyes down to the floor. “I’m sorry. I can't break yet another of my oaths,” she said. 

Nyx shut his eyes and gave a quiet grunt of frustration. “I love you,” he said in an accusatory tone.

“I know,” Luna replied, shaking her head, “But there are more important things than love. This is a different world.”

* * *

 

Luna opened her eyes to the bright, cold floodlights that were cutting through the blinds, as they always did. She sat up in the bed, abandoning the warmth of the body pressed against hers. She checked the clock; it was morning, technically. The darkness was bad, but almost worse for the body and mind was the constant artificial light required to keep an area safe. It made it hard to sleep and had completely ruined everyone’s internal clocks, try as they might to keep track of days.

Luna brushed her fingers through her slightly overgrown blonde bob, stood up and went to the kitchenette to prepare breakfast. She looked around the small trailer that had become their home, at least for now, and she felt sudden panic wash over her. She felt cornered like a trapped animal. She stayed there in that trailer every day while Nyx went hunting, and when they moved on again she would stay in the new place. 

She filled her time by learning some of the homemaking skills her upbringing had omitted, feeling it was only fair if Nyx was doing hard physical labor and earning money. She used the trickle of magic she had left to her to craft curatives, as many as she could with the meager influx of ingredients. She learned to make some non-magical medical supplies such as bandages and splints. She sent Umbra out to bring her anything he could collect about what was going on in the world, and Nyx filed her in on everything he heard, but she still felt horribly isolated and impotent.

With the rest of her time, which was really quite a bit, she was writing down Noctis’s story, at least everything she knew about it.

Luna calmed her urge to run outside and keep running. She focused on breakfast. As she poured coffee into a mug for Nyx, some sloshed over the side. She gasped as the hot liquid burned her hand. The mug dropped to the floor, shattering into a mess of ceramic and coffee.

The sound shocked Nyx awake. “Luna! Are you okay?” he shouted, stumbling out of bed and grabbing his knives.

Luna stared at the mess blankly for a moment, then her usually serene face crumpled and she started to cry, sinking into a squat with her back against the wall.

Finding no enemies to strike down, Nyx set his knives down. “Are you hurt?” he asked urgently. Luna shook her head helplessly, caught in ugly, unrelenting sobs. Nyx felt like an animal in headlights. He had never seen Luna cry, not in the four years he had known her, and the sight was scary, like the earth was crumbling away beneath his feet. 

He carefully took her by the arms and led her back toward the bed, away from the treacherous shards of ceramic. He sat and held her in his lap.

“It’s okay,” he whispered as he embraced her and stroked her hair. It was a lie, but there was nothing else to say.

Luna just pressed her face into Nyx’s shoulder and cried out years of frustration until she had nothing left.

When Luna had calmed superficially, Nyx cleaned up the mug and the coffee. They had their breakfast with minimal conversation. There was nothing to talk about. By the time they were done eating, Luna had outwardly returned to her normal, resilient self.

“I’m going with a group to take down an iron giant that’s been lurking around an outpost. It should be a two day trip, maybe three,” Nyx told her, “I'm leaving later today.”

“Be careful, hero,” Luna said with a small, strained smile. The warning was pointless; people were careful and they still died every day. 

“I always am,” Nyx said with a little smirk.

Luna could suddenly think of nothing but how handsome Nyx was, and how lonely she would be, being apart from him for two days. She grabbed his hand, pulled him back toward the bed and kissed him. She still felt a twinge of guilt every time they did this, but they were young, in love, living in close quarters, and her engagement had been called off due to the lack of a groom, so she told herself the guilt was unnecessary. Anyway, it had been approximately two years since she'd given up on saving herself for marriage, so there was no need to stack the guilt for each subsequent encounter.

When Nyx kissed the bare skin of her collarbone, she could begin to forget that she was trapped in yet another cage. When his mouth traveled down between her legs, she could forget the black sky and despair outside their trailer. When he laid on top of her, the weight of his body pressing her into the thin mattress, she could forget everything that was not the two of them. She would feel guilty for forgetting, later, but if she didn't forget sometimes, she would eventually lose her mind.

“I love you,” Luna gasped. 

“Gods, I love you,” Nyx groaned against Luna’s neck.

Luna sent Nyx off with some food and a meager three potions, wondering if this would finally be the time he didn't come back and she would be left completely alone in the darkness.

* * *

 

When Noctis invited Gladio into his study that night, it surprised him. They had had only curt, professional interactions for days. Before the door was even locked, Noctis was kissing Gladio, bumping their teeth together in his haste.

Gladio pulled Noctis close and thrust his tongue into his mouth. Just a moment later, he pushed Noctis away and held him at arm's length. “What is this, Noct?” he asked, frowning.

“I want you,” Noctis growled, trying to pull Gladio back to him. Gladio was stronger. 

“Are you sure this is behavior befitting a king?” Gladio asked. The question was designed to sting.

Noctis glared back at him. “No. But—I don’t know what else to do.”

Gladio looked Noctis up and down, apparently weighing his options. “Alright,” he said finally, with an edge to his voice that immediately brought Noctis back to early adolescent training sessions, when Gladio’s main goal had been to knock him down until he didn't want to stand up again. “Bend over the desk.”

Noctis shivered but obeyed. Gladio pressed up behind him. It was exactly what Noctis had wanted, yet it felt wrong. Gladio had always treated him roughly in bed because they both enjoyed it, but that night his roughness was cold and methodical. When he was done with him, he zipped up his pants, said, “Goodnight, Your Highness,” and left a sweating, panting Noctis stewing in his confusion and guilt.

Gladio didn't go home. Instead he texted Ignis, asking him to meet at a bar—one not frequented by Crownsguard. When he got to the place, a hole-in-the-wall near Ignis and Prompto’s apartment, Ignis was already there waiting. He was seated with his legs crossed, holding the ornate cane he still used at times, though he did not, strictly speaking, need it. 

“Hey, Iggy,” Gladio said as he slid into the seat next to him with a beer for himself and a gin and tonic for Ignis. 

“Good evening,” Ignis greeted him. “Thank you,” he added as his hand closed around the cold glass Gladio had brought him.

Gladio took a large gulp of his beer. “I'm sleeping with Noct,” he blurted out. 

Ignis’s expression changed very little. Only his lips thinned slightly. “I'm not shocked by this news,” he finally said, “Though I admit I'm somewhat disappointed in you both.”

Gladio felt his face turn hot. “I know, I know. And it's… not good. Actually, it’s bad.”

“Mm,” Ignis replied neutrally.

“Actually, it feels like shit,” Gladio admitted. 

“Why is that?” Ignis asked neutrally as he sipped his drink.

“Because one, it's fucked up to do that to Lunafreya, and two, it's the same old shit. We’ve been playing this game for seventeen years and I'm so, so sick of it.” Gladio looked up at the ceiling, lacing his fingers behind his head. 

“There was a ten year hiatus, to be fair,” Ignis pointed out. 

“Don’t be pedantic, Igs,” Gladio sighed, “The point is it’s getting old.”

“I know,” Ignis replied, “I’m rather sick of watching it, myself. I feel that this is not the first time we’ve had this conversation.”

“I’m sick of being nothing but his teddy bear when he's scared and his human dildo when he's horny,” Gladio snarled.

“Did you ever consider that you may be more to Noct than that?”

Gladio glared at his friend. “No. Not really. I've hoped, but that's different. If I am, he has a funny way of showing it.”

“Noct has a funny way of showing most things,” Ignis reasoned, “Gladio, I know him as well as you. Which is to say, quite well, but I still can't read his mind. You are both adults. You need to have a conversation about this with him, not with me.”

Gladio shut his eyes. “I’d rather go down on a cactuar.”

Ignis cracked a slight smile at that, but continued, “As for your infidelity, the only thing I can suggest is that you two come clean about it. Lies only serve to make a problematic situation worse.”

“I don't want to hurt Lunafreya,” Gladio countered. 

“It will hurt her far more when she discovers you in flagrante delicto in the throne room.”

“We wouldn't do it in the throne room,” Gladio huffed into his beer.

“I can't force you to do anything,” Ignis said, “As much as I may wish my sage advice were followed more often. But do think on it.” Ignis finished off his drink. 

“Yeah… Thanks, Iggy. I guess.” Gladio tipped up his beer and chugged what was left of it. “I'm gonna walk around and think. Say hi to Prom.”

* * *

 

Gladio launched Iris into the air so she could strike at the necromancer with extra speed. It was a much more dangerous move for her than it had been for Noctis, who could warp to safety instead of falling, but she and her brother had practiced it until he felt comfortable enough throwing his baby sister at daemons.

His baby sister was no baby anymore. At the age of twenty-two she was not only a capable hunter, but was even making a name for herself for her skill and ferocity on the hunt. There were already people who knew who “Iris the Daemon Hunter” was. Probably more people than knew who Gladiolus Amicitia was. He was certainly a skilled hunter, but he tried to keep to the shadows, whereas Iris reveled in the attention as well as the pleasure of helping people.

With the added momentum provided by Gladio, Iris slammed her dagger into what passed for the creature’s face. Gladio followed up with a hefty swing of his broadsword while it was still reeling. Iris rolled to her feet and brought her daggers straight down into it like a cobra strike. 

Finally it was dead, or whatever happened to daemons when you hurt them enough. Brother and sister were sweaty, dirty, scraped-up, but still alive. Gladio let his sword disappear from his hand. 

“I'm still jealous of that,” Iris commented as she slid her daggers into their holsters, “It seems so  _ convenient _ .”

Gladio shrugged. He didn’t want to think about it. “Let’s get back before this thing's buddies show up,” he said.

“We should team up more often, Gladdy,” Iris said as she drove them toward Hammerhead, “They could call us the twin daemon hunters or something.”

“I'm  _ eight  _ years older than you,” Gladio snickered, “And I look it. Anyway, I wouldn't want to steal your spotlight.”

“There's no danger of that,” Iris said sweetly. 

Gladio shook his head. “Seen Talcott lately?” he asked.

“Yeah, he’s been training as a hunter. He's pretty good.”

It broke Gladio’s heart that the children he cared about had to come of age in this dark world. But he just smiled and said, “Good, good.”

“I saw Ignis and Prompto in Lestallum,” Iris ventured.

“Oh,” Gladio said.

“They miss you,” she continued. 

“Oh. Well, I'm sure we'll run into each other eventually.” His words were pleasant, but his tone was telling her to shut up. She couldn't understand how hard it was to see his old friends, especially in the little oasis of happiness they had found in one another. 

When Iris parked inside the gate at Hammerhead, she didn't get out of the car. Instead, she reached over her brother to the glove compartment and pulled out a small rectangular package wrapped in newspaper. 

“Iris,” Gladio sighed. 

“I know, I know, you don't like your birthday,” Iris interrupted, “But I couldn't just let it go by. Anyway, here.” She thrust the gift into Gladio’s hands. 

Gladio tore open the paper. It was a hardcover book.  _ Wuthering Heights _ , read the cover. 

“It’s about this fiery doomed romance out in the middle of nowhere in Cleigne,” Iris told him, “It’s a classic.”

“Thanks, sis,” Gladio said, and gave her awkward hug from his seat. “Are you going back toward Lestallum?”

“Yeah,” she nodded.

“Alone?” Gladio asked in his big brother voice.

“Don’t worry,” Iris said, “I drive really fast.”

“Oh, good, I'm much less worried now.” Gladio rolled his eyes and mussed Iris’s hair, then climbed out of the car. 

He watched her car leave the relative safety of the gates and floodlights, and sighed. A few minutes later, he was driving a truck in the opposite direction. He saw some daemons in the distance, but he was lucky and none of them got close on his short drive. He got out of his car and traipsed through some winding ruins with his flashlight. He had to take out a swarm of goblins and some fire bombs, but it was nothing he couldn't handle. Finally, he arrived at the nondescript little hill, notable only because it overlooked the city of Insomnia. He turned his light off and he was in near-total darkness. The dark, angry red sky offered enough illumination to see the city vaguely, more a city-shaped suggestion of shapes and shadows than anything else. 

He sat on the dead grass and squinted at the city. He was thirty years old. He tried to imagine what this birthday would be like if things had gone differently. He would be living in Insomnia. Ignis would still have his sight. Iris and Talcott would be normal young adults; they could go to college instead of killing daemons. Noctis… Noctis would be the king. Maybe they would both be married. Gladio didn’t love that idea. Maybe they would be together. Implausible, but this was his fantasy. It was a fantasy that soon became too painful to dwell on. Even if Noctis were here, he wouldn’t be any more in love with Gladio than he ever had been. But he wasn’t here, and Gladio was still waiting for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was hard to get out, so I apologize if it isn't up to snuff.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Luna is fed up. Prompto is bad at plans. Ignis plays fairy godmother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this last chapter is satisfying. Let me know if you enjoyed it.
> 
> Recommended listening:  
> Nena - Irgendwie, irgendwo, irgendwann  
> The Magnetic Fields - Sweet-Lovin' Man  
> Florence and the Machine - Heartlines

Luna refused to increase her guard, arguing that Nyx had performed his job perfectly, which was proof that the current arrangement was working. She wanted nothing that indicated she was afraid or wanted to distance herself from the common man. 

“We can spare the guards,” Cor said.

“I might not always be there,” Nyx said.

“You would be able to pick the guards yourself, if you desired,” Ignis said.

“Noct couldn’t bear it if he lost you,” Gladio said.

“I just want to keep you safe,” Noctis said.

Luna closed her eyes briefly, then put her hands on the table and stood up forcefully. “I grew up a prisoner in my own home,” she said evenly, “And I would sooner die than become one again.”

All the men began talking over each other, assuring her the extra guard wouldn’t keep  _ her _ from moving freely, and that she had to consider her position, and that her safety was their biggest concern.

“I feel that this conversation is finished for the moment,” Luna said firmly, “Now if you'll excuse me, Guardsman Argentum and I were planning to visit the firing range.”

“That's not a solution!” Gladio warned.

“Well, it can't hurt,” argued Cor.

“Of course it can!” Gladio retorted, “She’s more likely to hurt herself than an attacker.”

“What if we started a propaganda campaign explaining why the Oracle was unable to aid Lucis?” Ignis suggested, trying to stem the brewing debate.

Luna took Prompto’s arm and steered him out of the room, looking perfectly happy and serene, but Prompto could feel her fingers digging into his skin. 

Nyx looked from Luna to Noctis, then stood up to follow her. He still had a job to do, after all. He discreetly followed Luna and Prompto to the armory and the shooting range, and stood where he could keep an eye on Luna without compromising their privacy. 

For all that he looked like the wrong end of a chocobo, Nyx actually felt that Luna was fairly safe with Prompto. Nyx watched the little lesson play out. Before handing Luna the small handgun he chose for her, Prompto thoroughly explained gun safety rules and all the parts of the weapon. He helped her adjust her grip and her stance, and told her to give it a try. She managed to mostly hit the target, and Prompto congratulated her animatedly.

From his vantage point, Nyx was having a hard time ignoring how much Luna looked like she'd just stepped out of his best sexual fantasies. In her form fitting dress and high heels, holding the handgun and wearing the shooting range ear muffs, looking highly competent, she was the reverse image of her younger self who had looked so helpless and out of place in hunter fatigues. He wanted both versions of her so much that it was a constant, gnawing pain in his gut. He watched while Luna shot for a while longer. 

When she and Prompto were finished, they walked away together, taking a circuitous route around the grounds and eventually losing their well-meaning tail. Luna wanted to speak to Prompto privately.

“I believe we’ve lost my shadow,” Luna said with some affection, “Thank you. That was very educational.”

“No problem, Lu—Your Majesty!” Prompto replied with a crooked grin, “You’re a good shot for a beginner.” He’d noticed the pensive expression on her face, and wanted nothing more than to make her smile.

“You flatter me,” Luna replied. She paused, then said, “Prompto, I hope I can consider you a friend.”

“Yeah, of course!” Prompto replied quickly.

“Many years ago, I gave you relationship advice, after a fashion. I wonder if you can return the favor now.”

Prompto’s eyebrows flew up. What advice could he possibly have for a woman with the wisdom and grace of a goddess? He inhaled. “I can try.”

“Thank you.” Before she began, Luna led them to a little alcove where they were unlikely to be overheard. “Please do not repeat this to anyone else.” Prompto nodded. Luna took a deep breath. “I'm… in love with someone. With Nyx Ulric.” She squeezed her eyes shut. Saying it out loud made it seem so petty and juvenile, but admitting it to another living soul was like releasing her chest from a decade-old weight. 

Prompto’s eyes grew into big blue saucers. “Oh.” He had not the slightest idea what to do with that information, so he just stared. 

“I know you are loyal to Noctis and I wouldn't want you to be put in an uncomfortable situation. I have not been unfaithful,” Luna went on, and it was, in a certain light, the truth, “But you’re insightful, and you know Noctis better than I do. I know this can't go on, but what would you do?”

Prompto giggled nervously, “Ah, me? I don't know… I'm really not insightful at all. Well, I think Noct loves you, and he wants you to be happy… Why, um, why did you marry him, if you’re not, um, in love with him?”

Luna gave him a pained look. “I felt it was my duty. And I do care about him, very much.”

“Well, unless you can just, like, stop being in love with Nyx, I think you should talk to Noct about it. It might hurt his feelings, but it's better to be honest, right? And, hey, people do all kinds of things, now, like open marriages, right? That's really progressive.” Prompto winced. That was probably an incredibly stupid suggestion. He was talking to royalty, here.

“You’re right about speaking with Noctis,” Luna sighed, glossing over his other suggestion, “I've been afraid to admit my failings. But lying and sneaking is even more unworthy of me. It all seems very straightforward through your eyes.”

“You know what?” Prompto said, his face growing determined, “Don’t talk to him yet. Maybe I can butter him up for you a little.”

“If you think it will help,” Luna said hesitantly, “But please don't cause trouble for yourself on my behalf.”

“Don't worry, Your Majesty,” Prompto replied, stroking his little blond beard thoughtfully, “I have an idea.”

* * *

 

Nyx entered Luna’s office and gave her a familiar kiss on the lips. She seemed particularly intense that day. Of course, helping Tenebrae rebuild and establish a government of elected officials after ten years of utter chaos was always stressful. but today she hardly even returned Nyx’s kiss or looked at him.

“What’s wrong?” Nyx asked bluntly.

Luna sighed and held a piece of paper out to him. He glanced over it. It was an invitation—no, it was a marriage proposal from Noctis Lucis Caelum. He tossed it down on the desk. “It’s a little late for that, don't you think?” he said dismissively.

Luna looked at him pensively. “No, in fact, I think it might be quite timely.”

The response was completely unexpected. Nyx stared at her in disbelief. “Luna, I don't believe—”

“Let me explain,” Luna interrupted, “I am ready to leave Tenebrae. It is my home, but there are so many bad memories here. That's why I refused to accept the role of queen.”

“So we’ll leave Tenebrae! We can go anywhere we want,” Nyx said quickly.

“I have failed to fulfill certain of my duties in the past. I'm no longer the Oracle, but as queen of Lucis, I could help people immeasurably. I know my marriage to Noctis was originally nothing more than a plot of the Empire, but it could be so much more.” Luna looked up at Nyx, putting on a steadfast face, “I could do so much.”

“There are other ways to do good,” Nyx argued. 

Luna shook her head, “Not as much. Also, Noctis and I have loved each other since we were young children. It will be a political marriage, but one with love in it.”

“Loved each other… But not like that,” Nyx said, his voice darkly questioning. 

“No, not romantically,” Luna agreed, “But that could come in time. Less suitable matches have been made.”

Nyx felt Luna’s reasoning was shaky at best, but he did understand duty; He was a soldier himself, and had always had a strong drive to help and protect others at his own expense. That was a quality Luna shared. Plus she had that “jumping out an airship” tone in her voice. “Can I come with you?” he asked.

Luna took his hand. “Yes, please. Even if our relationship has to change, I want you near me, hero.”

Nyx squeezed her hand in response. He wasn't happy about it, but he would stay by her side in whatever capacity was available to him. “I’ll always be here,” he said finally.

* * *

 

When Noctis opened his door, he was surprised but pleased to see his best friend. Maybe he could just hang out and forget his troubles for a while. Maybe they could even play video games. “Hey, Prom,” Noctis said with a smile, “What's up?” 

Prompto looked incredibly serious, which was odd and made Noctis worry. “Can I come in?”

“What's wrong?” Noctis asked as he shut the door behind them, “You look upset.”

Prompto sniffled theatrically. “Noct, I need your advice. I have a problem.”

Noctis frowned. “Of course. Come on, sit down.” They sat side by side on a small sofa. “What's going on?”

“I did something bad,” Prompto said, looking down at the floor. When Noctis didn't reply, he continued, “I cheated on Ignis.”

Noctis stared at him in silence for a moment. “What? Prompto! What happened?” Noctis couldn't veil the shock in his voice.

“I didn't mean to! It was this Glaive; we were training and we got to taking and one thing led to another…” Prompto peeked up at Noctis’s face through his pale lashes, analyzing his response.

Noctis shook his head. “Prom, that's—do you still love Ignis?”

“Of course!” Prompto cried, “I don't want this to change anything. I thought maybe I didn't even have to tell him.”

“Of course you have to tell him,” Noctis said, “And he's my friend, so if you don't, I will.”

“But do you think he'll forgive me? What would you do if someone confessed to cheating on you?”

Noctis hesitated, then replied, “I don't know. I guess it depends on the situation. I'd be angry, but if I really loved them and they were really sorry, I would forgive them, I think.” Noctis’s face grew dark with unknown emotions. “But cheating is a really shitty thing to do, Prom.”

Prompto winced. He was glad this was all a ruse, or he'd be feeling pretty bad about himself right now. “I know, but don't you think it just happens sometimes?”

“It shouldn't happen to adults. We're all smart enough not to listen to our dicks instead of our brains. We're not teenagers.” Noctis was getting agitated, his initial ambivalent reaction mutating into something much angrier. “How could you let this happen?”

“It was an accident,” Prompto replied hesitantly.

“Bullshit. You don't accidentally fall on a dick. You knew what you were doing would hurt Ignis and you did it anyway.” Noctis stood up angrily. His cheeks were flushed with emotion and his eyes were stinging.

“Wow,” Prompto said quietly. He hardly had to feign the hurt in his voice. “I'm sorry.”

Noctis turned away from Prompto. “Don't apologize to me. You need to go apologize to Ignis. Maybe add some groveling in there, too.”

Prompto felt like crying, and had to remind himself that his relationship was just fine. “Okay. Um, thanks.” Prompto fled Noctis’s rooms. Well, now he knew how Noctis felt about infidelity. He wasn’t sure how he was going to help Luna come clean, if Noctis was going to react so poorly. Prompto mulled this over as he left the Citadel, stopping by Ignis’s office to pick him up so they could drive home together. 

“You're very quiet, love,” Ignis noted when they were paused at a stoplight, “Did something happen?”

“Iggy, what would you do if… if you knew a friend of yours was cheating on their partner, and you were friends with the partner too, and you right they might react badly when they found out, but you thought they had a right to know…” Prompto trailed off anxiously. 

Ignis sighed. “Of course you figured out what Noctis and Gladio were up to.”

Prompto almost rear-ended the car in front of them as his mind went momentarily blank. “Noct and Gladio?” he squeaked. 

Ignis winced. “Ah, you were talking about someone else?”

“Yeah, dude! Luna and Nyx!” Prompto smacked his hand over his mouth.

It was Ignis’s turn to be shocked. “Lunafreya and Nyx Ulric?” he asked, as if Prompto might be referring to some other Luna and Nyx.

“Wait a second, though. Noct and Gladio? I thought that was a, like, ‘youthful indiscretion’ or something.” 

“It was. When they were youths,” Ignis replied sardonically.

Prompto parked in their spot in their building's lot, but neither moved to get out of the car. Both were momentarily lost in thought.

“Hang on,” Prompto said, “This is  _ good _ , right?”

“How, precisely?” Ignis asked shortly.

“Well, they're  _ both _ in love with other people, right? So they can't be mad at each other, right?”

“I’m afraid it may be more complicated that between Noctis and Gladio,” Ignis said regretfully.

Prompto rolled his eyes so hard Ignis could almost hear it. “They're in love. Come on, Iggy, you've known them longer than me. Gods, this makes so much sense. Just thinking back on everything...”

“More to you than to me, it would seem. If you are so convinced of their feelings for one another, perhaps you could talk to Noctis about it.”

Prompto laughed uncomfortably. “Well… I think Noctis is mad at me. I told him I was cheating on you—”

“Excuse me, you told him what?”

“It was a lie!” Prompto explained quickly, “I wanted to see what he thought about it, so I would know what to tell Luna… I think it was a better plan in my head. Anyway, he's pissed. Which I guess you should take as a compliment. But I don't think he'll be interested in hearing my thoughts about his love life.”

Ignis put his fingers to his temples. He felt a headache coming on. As they walked into their apartment, he pulled out his phone, pressed the voice command button, and spoke: “Text Gladiolus: It’s time to have that talk with Noct.”

* * *

 

When Noctis walked out the front of the Citadel into the unnatural darkness of Insomnia, battered and exhausted but standing tall, Prompto was the first to notice him. “Noct!” he gasped. Gladio spun around to look, disbelieving. Ignis froze. Where there had been hordes of daemons moments before, now there was silence.

And then they saw the light on the horizon. “The sun!” Prompto shrieked, grabbing Ignis and spinning him toward the east, where Ignis could just begin to detect the illumination. 

Gladio looked at it, white-knuckled hands clutching his sword, then turned to stare at Noctis. Noctis was gazing out at the horizon, tears running down his cheeks and into his beard. 

“You’re alive,” Gladio choked out.

Noctis didn’t reply for a long moment. “Yeah, I guess I am,” he finally said, like it hadn't yet sunk in. He looked down at his body. The Ring of the Lucii was gone from his hand. 

“Well, don't you feel stupid for all your heartfelt goodbyes,” Prompto tried to joke before he was overwhelmed with tears. Ignis held him tightly. 

Noctis descended the steps and the four friends dissolved into an unabashed mess of laughter, tears, and hugs. None of them had ever felt happiness so great.

Everyone in Lucis was joyous. The despair melted away, for a time. Children who had never seen the sun before shrank from its light but soon learned the pleasure it brought. 

The euphoria of that moment quickly became a fond memory as they began to rebuild their kingdom from the rubble. Running a country was hard enough at the best of times, but Noctis was dealing with ten years of destruction and decay. Most of the country had no power. Infrastructure was collapsed. Cell phone and Internet service was limited to Lestallum. Insomnia was in quite literal ruins. And Noctis had been floating in a void for ten years—he had gained in power, maturity, and fortitude, but hadn't exactly been practicing statesmanship with Bahamut in the intervening time.

Ignis helped Noctis with the intricacies of policy: aiding citizens, allocating funds for reconstruction, renegotiating treaties with other recovering nations. Cor and Gladiolus rebuilt the Crownsguard and Kingsglaive, mercilessly whipping them into shape to serve their new king. Prompto became a full member of the Crownsguard and semi-official court photographer, and was always around to help lighten the mood when Noctis was overwhelmed. 

The first year was nothing but constant work for all of them. Noctis collapsed into his bed every night, asleep before he hit the pillow. Sex and romance were the farthest things from his mind until the night he found himself pressed between the wall of his bedroom and the wall of Gladio’s body. 

Gladio was grabbing Noctis by the hair and clothing like he was going to tear him apart. His tongue was thrust deep in Noctis’s mouth. He was completely overwhelmed with lust, trying to fit a decade of longing into a single moment. 

Noctis was clutching Gladio desperately, giving himself completely. He had almost completely buried his desire, until the touch of Gladio’s lips yanked it violently to the surface. They didn’t even make it to the bed. 

Soon they lay in a sweating heap on the floor. Noctis knew he would be feeling Gladio inside him, not to mention the rug burn on his back, for at least a day or two.

“Damn, Noct,” Gladio groaned into Noctis’s neck, “I've been dying to do that for eleven years.” He bit him gently.

“Me too,” Noct replied, “Well, at least one year… the others are hazy.”

When they were able to stand again, they stumbled over to the bed. As they settled into each other's arms, Noctis cleared his throat. “Actually, Gladio, I need to tell you something.”

Gladio’s breath caught in his throat. 

“I've decided to propose to Lunafreya, officially,” Noctis said quickly. Gladio clenched his jaw and willed himself to stay calm. They'd been through this before, after all. He had dealt with it once and he could deal with it again. “I need a queen, and she's perfect… So this, between us, has to stop after tonight.”

“I see,” Gladio said, then forced a grin, “So you’re finally gonna do it after all this time, huh?”

Noctis shrugged bashfully. “I guess so.”

“So, does that mean I have tonight?” Gladio asked, trying to sound seductive and not desperate. He was unsure if he succeeded. 

“Yeah,” Noctis whispered, caressing Gladio’s side. 

Gladio rolled over on top of Noctis. Both, separately, resolved to use the time to say a proper farewell to this aspect of their relationship as they hadn't been able to years before. They both hoped that one last night would get it out of their systems for good.

* * *

 

The strain in the air of the Citadel was palpable. Their king's mysterious foul mood trickled down to everyone in the chain of command. Even servants were grumpy and Glaives and Guards were getting in more brawls than usual. 

Gladio was on edge as well. That text from Ignis hadn’t helped. He was convinced that Ignis had no clue what he was talking about. 

Gladio and Noctis had a date to spar in the training hall, as the King had to keep in fighting shape, but there was nothing Gladio wanted to do less right now. Even so, they both showed up. They managed to avoid each other in the locker room, but their eyes met as they readied themselves for combat in the training room, about ten feet separating them.

They fought with blunted but real weapons, both starting out with uncharacteristic caution. Soon though, they were running about the room, going all out at each other, blades clashing and sweat flying. Their pent-up emotions were getting the better of them, and even Gladio’s swings were sloppy, leaving him wide open. Noctis was no better, warping recklessly around the room, flashing up to the ceiling in an extremely obvious attempt to get the drop on Gladio.

Finally Gladio’s superior strength won out.  He had Noctis pinned against a wall. He couldn't warp out of his predicament because he was using his blade to keep Gladio’s broadsword at bay. He wasn't sure he could throw the sword and warp to it before Gladio’s blade connected with him. 

Instead, Noctis tried a dirty trick. He leaned forward and kissed Gladio's lips. Gladio jumped back like he had been burned. “What the hell, Noct?” He looked absolutely furious. 

Gladio didn’t wait for an answer. Before Noctis could get his guard back up, Gladio swung and brought him to the floor with the wind knocked out of him. “Ow… hey, that was dirty.” Noctis struggled back to his feet.

Gladio tossed the practice sword unceremoniously to the ground with a loud clang to stop himself from taking another swing at Noctis. He glared at Noctis with fire in his brown eyes. “Look who’s talking. You need to stop.”

“Stop what?” Noctis asked irritably, rubbing his ass where he had fallen.

Gladio moved toward him aggressively, trapping him against the wall and putting one hand on either side of his head. “Stop toying with me. I just can't take this shit anymore.”

Noctis looked at him like a cornered animal. “Why is this suddenly so hard for you?” he spat back, “You used to love fucking me. Is it because of Luna? Don't you like me anymore?” The last question came out sounding a bit more desperate than Noctis had intended.

“Do I  _ like  _ you anymore? Astrals, Noct, how dense can you be? I love you. I'm in love with you. I've loved you since you were fifteen, and that's why this fucking sucks.” Once Gladio started his confession, everything started tumbling out. Even if he wanted to stem the flow off words, he couldn't. 

Noctis’s eyes had grown wide. “Gladio. If you love me, what's the problem?”

Gladio laughed mirthlessly. “The problem is that I want to be more than just the guy you come to when you're horny or sad.”

Noctis looked at Gladio like he had grown another head, or transformed into a flan daemon. “Are you an idiot?” he asked. 

Gladio slammed his fist against the wall next to Noctis’s head, but Noctis didn't flinch. “Yeah, I fucking am.” He was burning with shame and despair inside but it transformed into rage somewhere on its way out. 

Noctis closed his eyes and drew on all the strength he had. This felt like a greater trial than striking down Ardyn. “I love you,” he said through gritted teeth.

Gladio stared at Noctis. His face cycled through myriad emotions before resting on disbelief, then settling back on rage. “You love me? You  _ love _ me? And you're telling me this  _ now _ ?”

Noctis finally looked up at Gladio, anger flashing in his piercing blue eyes. “When was I supposed to tell you? When I was a scared, confused teenager? When I was on my way to my arranged marriage? How about when the world was ending? Or when I became the Chosen King? I'm sure no one would mind that instead of marrying the princess, the hero wanted to get fucked in the ass by his bodyguard.” Noctis’s voice was rising to a shout, and there were tears in his eyes. 

Gladio grabbed Noctis by the shoulders and shook him slightly. “Yes, Noct! Any of those times. Fuck, you have no idea…” His anger suddenly faded away like the last fluttering embers in a fire. “How long I've been waiting for this.”

Noctis was simultaneously overwhelmed and unburdened by the weight of his confession. His own anger fizzled out feebly, and he slumped against the wall. “What do we do now?” he asked.

Gladio kissed him, pressing hard against him. He didn't care about anything but the taste of Noctis’s mouth, the heat of his body, and the sensation of their beards scratching against each other. If duty wouldn't allow them to be together, he wanted to enjoy one perfect moment where he knew his feelings were reciprocated.

“Come back to my room,” Noctis whispered. Gladio nodded. On the way he sent a text to Ignis:  _ Talked to noct :thumbs up: _

Two days later, Ignis had called everyone together in Noctis’s sitting room. Noctis and Gladio were sitting on one sofa, across the coffee table from Luna and Nyx. Ignis was sitting calmly in a chair at one end of the table. Prompto was fidgeting in a chair at the other end, uselessly casting “why do I have to be here?” glances at Ignis.

No one seemed to understand why they were there, and they all waited with varying degrees of patience and discomfort for Ignis to explain himself. 

“The four of you have some things to clear up between you,” Ignis announced, “Who would like to begin?”

Noctis paled. Gladio glanced at Luna and then glared down at his shoes. Nyx cleared his throat uncomfortably and looked around like someone might come swinging through the window to rescue him.

Luna straightened her back and took the lead. “Noctis, I must confess to something. Nyx and I are... in love.” She looked steadfastly into Noctis’s eyes.

Noctis stared blankly for a long moment, appearing to be genuinely shocked. “Luna,” he said softly, “How could—” Ignis cleared his throat. Prompto and Gladio both glared at Noctis, who cringed. “I mean… That’s… okay.” He looked at Nyx, who was looking at anything but Noctis.

Luna closed her eyes briefly, both relieved and anxious about what may come next.

“Noct?” Ignis prodded, “Anything that you need to tell Queen Lunafreya?”

“Oh,” Noctis said, wanting to crawl under the sofa and sleep for another ten years, “I am also… in love.” He paused and took a deep breath. “With Gladio.” It took everything he had to get those words past his lips. 

Luna hid her shock as well as she could, but it still showed. Her lips formed a small O. Nyx now stared openly from Noctis to Gladio and back. “Oh, Noctis,” Luna finally said gently, “You mean you're—” 

“Gay?” interrupted Gladio, “Yeah. He’s as queer as cockatrice milk.” 

Noctis buried his burning face in his hands. “Shiva’s tits, Gladio, must you?”

“Perhaps you should watch your language in front of Her Majesty?” Ignis suggested.

“I’ve heard worse,” Luna assured Ignis, moving around the table to grasp Noctis’s hand. She didn't have to ask why he'd done this; she was familiar with the burden of duty. Yet she felt deep sympathy for him as she reflected on their years of friendship and correspondence. She felt silly for being so oblivious. She also felt incredibly relieved that he was in no danger of doing something stupid such as challenging Nyx to a duel. 

“So what do we do with this?” Nyx asked, gesturing out at all of them. He didn’t let it show, but a little part of him wanted to do a victory dance. Noctis was  _ gay _ . Everything was perfect.

“Well,” Ignis said, “It is all of your decision to make, however, in my role as King’s Advisor, might I advise that there is nothing to stop you from continuing your marriage publicly for appearances while privately conducting yourselves as you wish.”

Everyone processed that suggestion slowly, staring at each other as though the idea had never occurred to them. It was all too much for them to believe. They all looked at each other helplessly, happy but overwhelmed and confused, unable to untangle their emotions. Luna returned to Nyx’s side and clasped his hand in hers. He touched the hairpin she was wearing. Gladio rested his hand on Noctis’s thigh, and Noctis placed his hand on top of it.

Suddenly everyone's attention was drawn to Prompto as he burst into tears. “You guys,” he bawled, “I'm just so happy for you. It’s a happy ending. This is just like fanfiction.”

After a moment of baffled silence, laughter burst into the room. Ignis snorted, Gladio guffawed, Luna tittered, Nyx chuckled, and Noctis snickered, then reached over to jovially smack Prompto on the back of the head. “You nerd.”

Ignis stood, crossed over to Prompto, tilted his head up and kissed him. “I think our part in this conversation is finished,” he said, and herded a sniffling Prompto out of the room.

“So,” Nyx said, settling back in the sofa,  “When did this happen?”

“I believe it was shortly after Noctis’s fifteenth birthday,” Gladio grinned. Luna’s eyebrows crept up slightly. Nyx whistled. “What about you?” Gladio asked.

Nyx glanced at Luna, then looked at Gladio. “It started during the fall of Insomnia,” he began.

 

* * *

 

Epilogue

“I’m pregnant,” Luna said serenely, her eyes smiling. 

Several emotions crossed Noctis’s face in rapid succession: joy, excitement, disbelief, fear. Then his face paled and he froze with his mouth open, unsure of how to form the question he needed to ask. His mind was racing with furious calculation. How many months? If they… then… and ovulation happened every full moon—No, that was wrong—every 30 days? Insomnian high schools taught reproductive biology, but Noctis had given it hardly any thought since the age of sixteen. 

Luna tried to hide her smile. “It’s yours,” she clarified, and Noctis gave a deep sigh of relief. They’d been continuing the attempt to produce an heir despite the understanding they had reached regarding their lovers. They had agreed to remain married, functioning as dear friends and, in a sense, business partners. They were both free to discreetly do as they wished in private.

He pulled her into his arms, laughing a little. “A baby!” He placed his hand on her stomach, which revealed nothing yet. “Why am I more scared of the little thing in there than a red giant?” he asked after staring at her midsection for a few moments.

Luna laughed tenderly. “You’ll be a wonderful father. You learned from King Regis.”

“But about Nyx and Gladio,” Noctis said, worry crossing his face, “How will we deal with that?”

“Well,” Luna said thoughtfully, “I suppose they'll be uncles. And when the baby’s old enough, we’ll tell him or her the truth. Most of it, anyway. Some things children don't need to know about their parents.”

Noctis thought about this. “I agree, but what about behind closed doors? I don't want to pretend, but I also don't want the kid telling his teachers that he saw daddy kissing uncle Gladio.”

Luna squeezed his knee. “We’ll figure it out. We’ve faced and overcome larger hurdles. So, my dear, would you like to tell them together or separately?”

“Together,” Noct said, “Then Prom and Iggy. I hope they'll have some news for us, soon, too.” Noctis looked at his wife with a genuine smile. He felt his heart swell with the warmth of his strange, wonderful family.


End file.
